Property industry welcomes new Tory Government

David Cameron’s surprise election victory should provide much needed stability to the residential property market.

tory_government_property_industryThe Conservative victory in the General Election has been welcomed by the housing industry. It should provide welcome stability to the residential property market.

glynis_frew_huntersGlynis Frew (left), Managing Director of Hunters Property Group, said, “We welcome a Conservative victory as this will bring some much needed stability to the property market, and from stability comes growth. We look forward to seeing the extension of Right to Buy to 1.3 million housing association homes in England, and more importantly, the introduction of 200,000 starter homes by 2020. We anticipate this will have a massive impact on the market. What’s more, the Government’s Stamp Duty reforms announced in December last year have already had a positive effect on the housing market, so we are pleased this will stay in place.”

Lucy Morton, Director and Head of agency at Prime Central London estate agency, W.A.Ellis, said that her firm noticed an immediate change in sentiment from both vendors and purchasers after the election result, following months of uncertainty and the threat of Labour housing policies, including the planned introduction of a mansion tax.

“A Conservative victory is a good result for the housing market, particularly in London,” she said. “As we opened for business this morning, two properties exchanged contracts and renewed confidence was further endorsed by the strengthening of the pound and the FTSE.”

Andrew Ellinas, Director of Sandfords, believes that the uncertainty, which has surrounded the property market for the most part since January, will now be lifted.

“Thank goodness that is all over,” he said. “Confidence will return quickly and it is likely we will experience a significant late spring bounce in activity, as those who have held back start to act.”

Greater political certainty is also likely to prevent a fall in house building, as planning policies put in place prior to the election gain further traction. However, there still remains a pressing need for “substantially increased new build supply” and a “far more co-ordinated long term housing strategy for the UK”, according to Lucian Cook, Savills UK Head of Residential Research.

The lettings industry in particular breathed a sigh of relief the morning after the General Election when it became clear that Ed Miliband’s Labour party would not be forming the next Government.

It was widely believed that Labour’s plans to cap rents, ban letting agent fees, make three-year tenancies the norm, and restrict tax reliefs for landlords who do not keep properties to basic standards, would have had an adverse impact on the private rented sector.

adam_day_hatchedAdam Day (right), Founder and Managing Director of Hatched, commented, “I believe this [a Conservative majority] to be great news for the housing market, particularly in the short term, evading the potential surprises and uncertainty that a Labour majority or hung parliament would have created. With Labour having little influence, there will be no significant meddling in the housing market. This is a relief following what we saw with Labour giving months of notice before the launch of the Home Information Packs in 2007, which contributed to the financial crash in 2007/8.

“If we were faced with a Labour Government today they would have enforced rent cap rises and banned tenants’ fees. Both of these proposed policies would have interfered with market forces, something that should never be controlled. With a Conservative Government, it is ‘business as usual’ and I predict the market continuing to grow.”


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